Anger

— Posted inFamily, Health & Fitness, Personal, Photography — 2 min read
Photo: Anger – Copyright 2019 Frank J Casella

When I decided to do the topic of anger for this photograph, I quickly became overwhelmed and wanted to change it or give up. Because there is so much that can be said, it is simple yet complex.

So, I have decided to share what anger means to me. That when I become angry I immediately ask myself who or what needs my forgiveness? Let me explain.

A spiritual director once shared with me that anger most commonly happens when something is not going our way, or we react to an injustice of our world view that we can not control.

For example, recently there have been several delays with a house project where my wife and I depend on others to complete. I have also felt anger at times because a part of my work is not getting the results that I’m looking for …..

The only way I know to get through this, is to firstly forgive what is not working, and second seek for where God is at work in these situations. It often turns out that God has a better plan, and He is just waiting for me to meet Him where he is at work in it.

This can be difficult at times because it takes prayer, patience, and discernment with the Holy Spirit to find where I need to be in my thinking and my actions. As Fulton Sheen says, “the Holy Spirit is an artist who paints a picture for us of the vision that God has for us.”

So, when you become angry, I hope that what I have to say helps you to pause and respond with forgiveness instead of react with anger.

The Interesting Thing About Dialogue

— Posted inFamily, Health & Fitness, Personal, Photography — 1 min read
Photo: here Copyright 2017 Frank J Casella

…. is that it means “a conversation or exchange between two or more people,”

Dialogue is important so that we can function as a society, and to foster personal growth.

To learn the viewpoints of others, so that we can then create our own viewpoints on life.

With today’s use of technology, specifically smartphones, it can be easy to put off being in-person.

However, it is the personal interaction of all the human senses that gives dialogue its power and effectiveness.

The Office

— Posted inFamily, Health & Fitness, Personal, Photography, Sports — 1 min read
Photo: The Office – Black and White Photograph Copyright 2010 Frank J Casella – Two men have a business meeting in a golf cart under a tree at in Midwest America. In this time of work at home, some things like this have been doing remote work all along. It is said more business is done on the golf course than in the boardroom. This says a lot about our humanity to relate to one another and the importance of being social.

Morning Blue Hour Abstract

— Posted inPhotography — 2 min read
Photo: Morning Blue Hour Abstract – Copyright 2022 Frank J Casella

With this latest photograph Morning Blue Hour Abstract – Pine tree silhouettes illuminated by the blue hour sunrise in the America Midwest of Illinois. The Blue Hour is at twilight, when the Sun is quite far below the horizon, coloring the sky deep blue. As for abstract, its definition is just as subjective as its name implies.

Abstract images are conceived or imagined outside of ‘reality’. They can encompass a huge variety of subject matter, take us out of our comfort zone, make us question what we see, or invite us to enter another realm.

If you look, then, you will see less abstract works in my own artwork than you may find other subjects. This is because when I create an abstract work it is not the original intention, rather later on the work lends itself to being a tweak away from reality.

I share my art photography on the Vivaldi blog platform, as well as on MeWe social network: Vivaldi has better privacy and security, and a focus on being visual with image properties and is a great tool to publish and share your ideas; MeWe has a Privacy Bill of Rights like no other, plus there are many groups and features (like a personal cloud and photostream) on MeWe that are designed for photography.

But more about abstract and my artwork. A true definition, that I learned in college, for abstract photography, sometimes called non-objective, experimental or conceptual photography, is a means of depicting a visual image that does not have an immediate association with the object world and that has been created through the use of photographic equipment, processes or materials.

I am mostly a person of reality, as those who know me best will tell you. Though I do have a great appreciation for people who are abstract thinkers, as much as I do for abstract artworks.

I hope that what I have said inspires you to discover abstract art photography, and the thoughtfulness that it evokes for yourself.

It’s Only One Day

— Posted inFamily, Health & Fitness, Personal, Photography, Technology — 1 min read
Photo: It’s Only One Day – An early Spring sunset with silhouetted trees – Copyright 2015 Frank J Casella. (a soft effect is added to this version)

There’s many things in life that we feel are important.

Yet, the day we’re on our death bed will reveal if we’ve been right.

What is most important, I have learned, is to each day take care of unfinished business, and correct all that went wrong yesterday.

Because you never know what tomorrow will bring. On your death bed there are usually no second chances.

What is important to you today then, wont be tomorrow. In the age of the world, it’s only one day.

How To Make Our Time Constructive

— Posted inPersonal — 2 min read
Photo: Lines In The Morning Sky – Copyright 2019 Frank J Casella.

Our culture today is filled with much activity and busyness. How can we make our time constructive, so that life doesn’t pass before us too fast?

I wasn’t planning to share a sky picture today, but I found this picture in my archives from one morning when I went out with Buddy the dog at sunrise and this is what we found. It seems we get great sky formations over the lake in the wetlands preserve behind my house. The layers here reminds me of all the activity in our culture, and the layers that we work through in life.

To start with, the treadmill of social media feeds has us occupied with Likes and comments that just ends up being just wasted activity. What I mean is it’s said that if you refrain from this activity long enough, and replace it with doing something else off-line, that you will wonder why you spent so much time on that treadmill.

We also get involved in busy activity with others based on our world view, and sometimes not so productive either. Not often do I see others ask how does God see this situation. We do most things based on how we see it, myself included at times. Such as I was on email with a business colleague, and suggested when she said how nice the weather is looking through the window, to spend that time with her own thoughts.

Afterward I got to thinking how much does her employer allow her to do this without staying on top of her work … yet it is the activity and busyness without ‘stealing time’ for a moment that keeps us from being at our full productivity.

Back to the picture, from the time of the first light until the sun rose up into the clouds and all the beautiful color was gone, was about thirty minutes. Yet watching this I asked myself how many of us make this short time often to enjoy it? When we do life becomes more constructive. Because without it we are just living a life instead of making a difference, starting with ourselves.

So after reading this, I hope you take the time to ask yourself often “is what I’m doing constructive to make a difference, or busy activity of just living a life”.

Sunrise Cloud Reflection – Orton Effect

— Posted inPersonal, Photography, Software, Technology — 1 min read
Photo: Sunrise Cloud Reflection – Orton – The morning sun dances on the winter storm clouds above the silhouetted tree line in Illinois – USA.. (Orton Effect, is a photography technique which blends two completely different photos of the same scene, resulting in a distinctive mix of high and low detail areas within the same photo.). Nature Landscape Art Photograph Copyright 2022 Frank J Casella 

The Chaos of Alias Email

— Posted inFamily, Health & Fitness, Personal, Photography, Privacy, Productivity, Technology — 2 min read
Photo: The Walter Payton Center located at Halas Hall in Lake Forest IL, is the indoor practice facility used by The Chicago Bears Football Club. Copyright 2013 Frank J Casella.

I don’t know if it is a fad or becoming a trend, but the use of an alias email address it seems to be popular of late.

The word alias = a false name used to conceal one’s identity; an assumed name.

I know there are people who do important work where they need to remain anonymous to protect their life, but that I don’t think is most of us.

Growing up, my parents always taught us kids that if you can’t put your name on it then it doesn’t mean anything.

This is why my online accounts use some form of my name.

As much as most of us have one street address and one telephone number, I see the importance of having two email addresses: one for public use, and the other for private.

But then if the private gets into the wrong hands it easily then becomes public. …

So, then we come back full circle. I’ve been there, and it drives me nuts. … It’s like a dog chasing after its tail.

Just do your best to keep it simple, and learn to live with it.